AJ is obsessed with his new Darth Vader costume. He’s
assumed the iconic role with impressive conviction for someone who has never
actually watched a Star Wars movie. He even has the breathing down. Unfettered
by humidity, DV stoically guards the driveway, synthetic black cape absorbing
August heat, plastic robotic mask askew on his little face. In lieu of a light
saber (on backorder) he practices anti-Jedi moves switching mommy’s skinny
yellow J.Crew belt at family members.

Costumes dictate the quality of your behavior – and your
audience’s reaction. Whether you’re a lady lobbying for beads on Bourbon St.,
in line at the bank in an army uniform, the only guy at the meeting without
a tie or swathed in custom Christian Siriano and electric teal Christian
Louboutins on your cold, rainy wedding day – costumes can grant you power or
take it away.

I can be am obsessive about my appearance. Having two
children under 3 has loosened my (weekend) standards but believe me I am just
as compulsive about casual. Every ensemble must fit just so, coordinate and be
appropriately accessorized. Why? Because if it doesn’t I am uncomfortable ALL.
DAY. LONG. I can’t concentrate. I tug and over think and seek out mirrors to
scrutinize. When my outfit is sorted
my mind space is clear. I am empowered to perform and the world responds
accordingly.

We went to the mall last night for flip flops and Shake
Shack. After lengthy negotiation it was settled that AJ could wear his cape and
mask, and we would leave the body suit at home. Matt requested that AJ stay on
my side as we strolled through Lord & Taylor so he didn’t have be
associated with the crazy kid in the Halloween costume. I didn’t mind. The Darth
Vader costume empowers my little guy to strut like a big guy. I get it. AJ, I am your mother.

The Dark Side has inspired this week’s outfit
choices, too. When all else fails (and half of your 35 items are at the dry cleaner) bet on black.

As Cibu Brand Manager, I’ve created a lot of 259 hair
styling tutorials. Cibu Do of the Day, a web series in which I attempted a new
hair style every work day for three months, was a viral sensation in 2009. Cibu
gained tremendous social traction and generated e-commerce income to boot. Alas, I was before my time. Priorities shifted and like
many grassroots business endeavors, my focus was redirected towards more
profitable projects. People always asked about those videos, though. The simple
answer is that it takes a boatload of billable hours to film, edit, post,
promote and moderate social content. Add salon expansion, repackaging, rebranding and two babies to the mix and ain’t
nobody got time for that.

A CFO once told me that social media
had a dubious ROI, at best. He was wrong. In 2015, social content is currency. And since Cibu
is generating a lot of well-deserved media attention it’s clear that I need to dust
off the bathroom mirror and make fresh Cibu vids to support the cause.

Mise en place! My equipment needed upgrading. Daunted by the task, I was certain new
technology and hours of self teaching were required. Amazon was like, um no –
here’s an iPhone tripod. Then Amazon sold me a selfie stick because that’s what
everyone else who bought the tripod was buying.

So stay tuned for the return of self generated Cibu social content.
With my reduced wardrobe, I’ve surely added enough time to my morning to film
hair tutorials!

Today’s outfit is pretty simple. Get used to this dress; you
will see it often. Versatile,
comfortable and easy to dress up or down, it’s the perfect summer accessory to
a selfie stick.